Review Steel Will Barghest - Am I Crazy?

Niall88

Niall88

Gold Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
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390
I really would like your comments if you are interested? Am I crazy, stupid, dense or dumb? Pray tell? I am sitting here at my desk with a $750 Demko AD-20 by my left, a best in the universe, well over $700 Medford Marauder by my right hand. At the same time, I am holding and playing with this Steel Will Barghest 4" blade (selling on Ebay for $76!!!). Sure, I still have a couple functioning brain cells. I know it is made in China. I know D2 is not as amazing as 20CV (Demko) or S35VN (Medford made with 4 pounds of titanium). I know the lock up is not as secure as the Demko or Medford or Hinderer. But I am starting to wonder, are we knife enthusiasts, or am I, just kind of addicted to the so called best made and most popular knives because of the inflated fantasy of these great makers? Sure, if one is a collector, I understand. That is reasonable. But if one is simply a user, this may be a different story. This Barghest is heavy, solid, melts into the hand with perfect ergos, blade shape is incredible. I am thinking to myself, why don't I just buy 3 or 4 of these and call it a day for the rest of my life? I am really thinking I am might have slipped into the hypnosis trance, expensive knife fantasy club. I am trying to wake myself up out of this trance. Somehow I wonder if a $750 knife is fly through the air, go faster than a speeding bullet, and save humanity...any better than this $76 Steel Will Barghest???

Hey, if any of you own or have handled this knife, feel free to rip me up badly or give some comments! I am in for the ride!

  • Blade Length: Approximately 4.0" ~ 102 mm
  • Blade Material: Satin D2 Steel
  • Blade Style: Plain Edge
  • Blade Thickness: Approximately 0.15625" ~ 4 mm
  • Lock Style: Liner Lock
  • Closed Overall Length: Approximately 5.50" ~ 140 mm
  • Open Overall Length: Approximately 9.50" ~ 241 mm
  • Handle Material: Black G-10
  • Pocket Clip: Right Hand Tip Up | Left Hand Tip Up
  • Weight: Approximately 8.10 Ounces ~ 230 Grams
  • Special Features:
    Lanyard Hole

    View attachment 1931583View attachment 1931584
 
Niall88 said:
I really would like your comments if you are interested? Am I crazy, stupid, dense or dumb? Pray tell? I am sitting here at my desk with a $750 Demko AD-20 by my left, a best in the universe, well over $700 Medford Marauder by my right hand. At the same time, I am holding and playing with this Steel Will Barghest 4" blade (selling on Ebay for $76!!!). Sure, I still have a couple functioning brain cells. I know it is made in China. I know D2 is not as amazing as 20CV (Demko) or S35VN (Medford made with 4 pounds of titanium). I know the lock up is not as secure as the Demko or Medford or Hinderer. But I am starting to wonder, are we knife enthusiasts, or am I, just kind of addicted to the so called best made and most popular knives because of the inflated fantasy of these great makers? Sure, if one is a collector, I understand. That is reasonable. But if one is simply a user, this may be a different story. This Barghest is heavy, solid, melts into the hand with perfect ergos, blade shape is incredible. I am thinking to myself, why don't I just buy 3 or 4 of these and call it a day for the rest of my life? I am really thinking I am might have slipped into the hypnosis trance, expensive knife fantasy club. I am trying to wake myself up out of this trance. Somehow I wonder if a $750 knife is fly through the air, go faster than a speeding bullet, and save humanity...any better than this $76 Steel Will Barghest???

Hey, if any of you own or have handled this knife, feel free to rip me up badly or give some comments! I am in for the ride!

  • Blade Length: Approximately 4.0" ~ 102 mm
  • Blade Material: Satin D2 Steel
  • Blade Style: Plain Edge
  • Blade Thickness: Approximately 0.15625" ~ 4 mm
  • Lock Style: Liner Lock
  • Closed Overall Length: Approximately 5.50" ~ 140 mm
  • Open Overall Length: Approximately 9.50" ~ 241 mm
  • Handle Material: Black G-10
  • Pocket Clip: Right Hand Tip Up | Left Hand Tip Up
  • Weight: Approximately 8.10 Ounces ~ 230 Grams
  • Special Features:
    Lanyard Hole

    View attachment 1931583View attachment 1931584
Click to expand...

I ve been feeling that way about knives ever since I started to accumulate a modest collection more than a dozen years ago.

My knives are users, even if the back ups don t get used until the first knife is lost or broken.

I care about a knife s durability, not its looks. I do appreciate a nice fit and finish,

Most of my best work knives are my strongest knives that hold up well to fairly hard use. My current favorites cost 25-30% of what a CRK or Hinderer costs. And they appear to be 80-90% as well made. Maybe the rest is marketing.

Forget customs.
 
whp said:
I ve been feeling that way about knives ever since I started to accumulate a modest collection more than a dozen years ago.

My knives are users, even if the back ups don t get used until the first knife is lost or broken.

I care about a knife s durability, not its looks. I do appreciate a nice fit and finish,

Most of my best work knives are my strongest knives that hold up well to fairly hard use. My current favorites cost 25-30% of what a CRK or Hinderer costs. And they appear to be 80-90% as well made. Maybe the rest is marketing.

Forget customs.
Click to expand...
Yes sir, I hear that!!!
 
I have many knives into the hundreds of dollars and yet I take a 23.95 Free Tiger from Amazon to work. D2 steel that has a pretty decent heat treat or one of the Bugouts that I bought second hand off the exchange. I spend alot of time cutting cardboard, appliance boxes, zip ties and even mattresses that need to go into a dumpster. The Tiger is a sheep foot blades and holds up surprisingly well. If I lose it? Bummer........ off to Amazon......
 
GCG199 said:
I bought one of these a year or so ago.

I like it. I mainly bought it because it reminded me of a Al Mar SERE folder without the assisted-opening.
Click to expand...
Have you liked how the knife has performed and held up to use?
 
Some people drive Bugatti , some people drive Ford ..
As long as it takes you where you need to go .
Is a knife that cost's 10 times less , 10 times worse ? You have the answer ( OP ) to that question !
 
It has a nice looking handle but I'll stick with my Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2 for any serious cutting tasks.
 
Steel Will puts out an excellent product. Mine is $50, D2 and a flipper but with washers. Great knife, flips every time, full flat grind to a tiny bevel, hods an edge. My first pick if someone wants a good inexpensive pocket knife.
 
old4570 said:
Some people drive Bugatti , some people drive Ford ..
As long as it takes you where you need to go .
Is a knife that cost's 10 times less , 10 times worse ? You have the answer ( OP ) to that question !
Click to expand...
Exactly.
I happen to drive a Ford because I’m not lucky enough to be in the market for top tier cars.
I’m AM lucky enough however to occasionally look at buying a knife that’s top tier (well, almost 😅). While I love my budget knives, it’s fun to have world class knives too.
 
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I'd recommend trying out a cheap Petrified Fish and a titanium framelock Twosun. Your mind will continue to be blown at what you can get for the money. I also have many awesome knives that I love very much however I also have a $27 Petrified Fish 818 that has insanely good fit and finish for the price, really good bearing action, and the D2 blade's performance has seriously surprised me. It's my beater knife that I use when I'm working on my car or bike or doing yardwork or whatever. I've had it for many months and still haven't sharpened it yet and it still cuts pretty dang good. Their heat treat seems to be on point. And looking at a Ti framelock Twosun will speak for itself I'm tellin ya.
 
I've never bothered with big bucks knives. For me, the point of diminishing returns on folders is right around $100-125. By the time you get to that range, you're getting a durable and well made knife that'll work just as well and survive the same crap as any knife costing twice as much.
 
19-3ben said:
I've never bothered with big bucks knives. For me, the point of diminishing returns on folders is right around $100-125. By the time you get to that range, you're getting a durable and well made knife that'll work just as well and survive the same crap as any knife costing twice as much.
Click to expand...
You are way more intelligent than I am!!!!!
 
19-3ben said:
:D

Not likely. I'm just boringly pragmatic sometimes.
Click to expand...
You're humble. I think pragmatic is wise. I grew up in LA Calif. Mostly a hippie, vegetarian for years, most of my friends are spiritual and new age. Now I am 65 and pragmatic, down to earth, is just about my religion! As the medicine man Sunbear used to say: "If it can't grown corn I can't use it."
 
I do most of my cutting with a $15 Chinese slipjoint. Sometimes I'm sitting ant my desk and need to cut something, that's when one of the Microtechs come of the drawer out to handle the task.
 
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